If you can’t get enough of TikTok since you feel like its simplified but ‘addictive’ user interface keeps you coming back for more, then you’re experiencing a fine work of front-end development.
But that’s not just TikTok. Behind any visually stunning and functional website, web app, mobile apps, etc. is an integral role of front-end web development.
In this blog post, Axalize will give you all the essential information about front end development, including definition, technologies, specialized knowledge & skills front-end developers need, and more.
Let’s explore!
Table of Contents
An Overview of Front-end Web Development
Front-end web development is the process of building the parts of a website or web application that users interact with directly, including everything from buttons and links to animations, layouts, etc.
Simply put, front-end developers are in charge of taking the vision and design concepts from clients and bringing them to life through code. (we will discuss the programming languages commonly used in front-end development below)
For example, if you visit the Axalize homepage, you’ll see the output of our front-end developers, who work with the designers to develop the page’s layout, navigation menu, buttons, hover effects, etc.
From our experience, front-end is of extreme importance. This is because no matter how good you handle data processing and logic underneath, your target audience is unlikely to enjoy it if the customer-facing aspect of your website isn’t eye-pleasing enough.
Axalize– a top-tier front end development agency
The Core Technologies of Front-end
If you don’t know what is front end development, let us introduce you to the core technologies that power the customer-facing side of a website.
Technically, front-end developers mostly use three main programming languages to develop the look and feel of a typical website or web application.
| Language type | What it’s used for | Examples |
| HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) | Structure and content of a webpage | Headings, paragraphs, links, lists |
| CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) | Styling and layout of a webpage | Colors, fonts, spacing, positioning |
| JavaScript (Programming Language) | Interactivity and dynamic content | Animations, form validation, interactive maps, request sending to the server |
Modern Trends Of Front-end Development
With the ever-changing nature of technology, a front-end developer needs to embrace new trends in order to improve their output performance.
As of writing this article, here are a few latest trends in front-end development that the Axalize team is utilizing:
| Trend | What it is | Benefits |
| JAMstack | JAMstack stands for JavaScript, APIs, and Markup. It is an architecture designed to make webs faster, more secure, and easier to scale by separating the front-end and back-end parts. |
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| Progressive Web Apps (PWA) | PWAs are websites that offer your visitors a native app-like experience when users access your web from their browser. |
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| Web Components | Web Components are a suite of web platform APIs that enable developers to create reusable custom elements with certain functionality. |
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| CSS Grid and Flexbox | CSS Grid and Flexbox are CSS layout systems that provide more efficient ways to design complex web layouts. |
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Quick fact: Our front-end developers master
all the trends above and beyond.
Front-end Developer Workflow
Now that you know what is front end web development, let’s discover what a typical workflow of a front-end web developer would look like.
Here’s a complete workflow of Axalize’s front-end developers when being assigned a project:
Requirement Analysis: Understanding the client’s or project’s requirements.
Parties Involved: Account Manager & the entire team, including Front-end Developers
Firstly, our Account Manager meets with the client to gather all necessary information about the project. This includes understanding the client’s needs, goals, and any specific requirements or constraints.
The Account Manager then briefs the project to the entire team to ensure everyone is aligned and understands the objectives.
Interface Design: Creating sketches or mockups for the web page.
Parties Involved: UI-UX Designers
After the initial briefing, our UI-UX designers kick-start the project by creating visual representations of what the website will look like. This can include wireframes, mockups, and prototypes.
They work closely with the Account Manager and the client to refine the design based on feedback, ensuring a user-friendly and visually appealing interface.
HTML/CSS Coding: Converting designs into HTML/CSS code.
Parties Involved: Front-end Developers
Once the design is finalized, our front-end developers get down to business. They start converting the mockups into actual code using HTML and CSS to ensure the website looks good across different browsers and devices.
JavaScript Programming: Adding interactive features.
Parties Involved: Front-end Developers
To make the website more dynamic and interactive, front-end developers will then use JavaScript to spice things up with animations, form validations, and interactive elements to enhance user experience.
Front-end developers may also use JavaScript frameworks and libraries to streamline the development process when dealing with complex functionalities.
Testing and Debugging: Ensuring the website works well across different browsers and devices.
Parties Involved: QA Engineers and Front-end Developers
After coding, the website undergoes thorough testing by our QA engineers and front-end developers to identify and fix any issues. This includes checking compatibility across various browsers and devices, ensuring responsiveness, and performing usability tests. Debugging tools and techniques are used to resolve any errors or bugs found during this phase.
Deployment and Maintenance: Launching the website online and making necessary updates.
Parties Involved: Backend Engineers and Front-end Developers
Once the website is fully developed and tested, it is deployed to a live server by our DevOps engineers. This involves setting up the hosting environment, uploading the website files, and configuring any necessary settings.
After the launch, back-end and front-end developers will work side by side to give periodic maintenance to update clients’ content, fix any new issues so the website can remain secure and functional over time.
💡 Transparency and commitment to quality have always been at the core of what we’re doing. Explore Axalize’s front-end development services for more details. |
Essential Skills for Front-end Developers
Want to become a front-end developer that builds websites or web apps that leave people in awe? Is so, here are the boxes you might need to tick:
| Hard skills |
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| Soft skills |
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💡 Every web developer at Axalize must pass our strict criteria for both hard and soft skills. That’s why over 100 global enterprises have trusted our web application development services. |
Conclusion
Since it only takes your target audience milliseconds to form their first impression of your brand, front-end development plays a crucial role in bringing the best out of a web or web application project.
Whether you’re just curious about what is front end web development or want to become a front-end developer building great websites, Axalize hopes this article can help
Custom Front-End Development Services | Axalize Company
Want a WebApp tailored to your vision? Our experts create responsive interfaces that elevate user experience for any business, from startups to enterprises.
What Is Front-End Web Development: FAQs
The salary of a front-end developer typically ranges from $20,000 to $110,000 per year, depending on your seniority, location, and company.
To become a front-end developer, you need to have specialized knowledge in common front-end development languages like CSS, HTML, JavaScript, etc. In addition, you also need to master certain soft skills like teamworking, time management, etc.
Scroll up for a more detailed checklist!
It depends on your goals and the current job market. For front-end development, popular frameworks include:
- React: Widely used, especially for building complex user interfaces.
- Angular: Great for large-scale applications and enterprise solutions.
- Vue.js: Easy to learn and integrate, ideal for smaller projects or adding to existing projects.
Though they go hand in hand with the success of any successful web development project, front-end is different from back-end.
Here is a summary of their differences:
- Front-end: Deals with the visual aspect of a website or web app. It’s what users interact with directly. Technologies include HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
- Back-end: Handles server-side logic, databases, and application functionality. It processes user requests, performs calculations, and manages data. Technologies include languages like Python, Java, and databases like MySQL.
For a more comprehensive comparison between the two concepts, check out our article on Front-end vs Back-end Development
